Inextricable: A Beauty and the Beast Tale
by Solace-In-Stories
Summary: "Once upon a time is now." Set in modern day New York City, a young girl is brutally attacked. A mysterious stranger who lurks beneath the shadows of the city rescues her. Soon she learns there is more to The City That Never Sleeps than she thought, and discovers an inextricable love that she never would have imagined. A Beauty and the Beast tale of sorts.


I've had these characters and this story in my head for years. This story will loosely be based off the 1987 Beauty and the Beast TV series, now sort of revised with inspirations from the 2012 series. I love the 2012 version a lot, but I am nowhere near as obsessed with it as I am with the 1987 series, so yea. Please enjoy!

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**¢н. 1: ιη¢єρтιση**

**in·cep·tion - ****_noun_**** \in-ˈsep-shən\ **

_The establishment or starting point of something; the beginning._

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_No one ever sees the Angel; but he is heard by those who are meant to hear him. _

"Excuse me, Miss? Can I get that magazine up in the corner?"

_He often comes when they least expect him, when they are sad and disheartened. _

"Miss, I'd like to get that magazine up there. Like today!"

_Then their ears suddenly perceive celestial harmonies, a divine voice, which they remember all their lives._

"BROOK!"

"Yeek!" Brook screamed as she fell back against the shelves in the magazine stand she was working. Some magazines followed suit as they were knocked from their shelves. "Rod, was that really necessary?" Brook asked as she brushed away the magazines that had fallen on her.

"Apparently so since this young man here has been trying to get your attention while your head is off in some other place," Rod responded sharply.

Finally, Brook noticed the man that had been standing behind Rod, watching the whole scenario. "Oh my gosh, I am really sorry! What magazine did you want?" Brook asked, now highly embarrassed.

"Oh, uh, just the one up there in the…well it was there a second ago," he said snapping out of his shocked state—which also had a look of amusement as well—from the shenanigan he just witnessed.

Seeing that things were back to business, Rod left as fast as he'd arrived.

"Oh, it probably fell down when I knocked into the shelves. What did it look like?" Brook turned her attention away to the magazines on the floor, acting as though she were looking for it, but in reality trying to hide the blush that she was fighting against.

"You know I can't even remember," the man replied.

_Oh well that really helps, _Brook thought.

"I'll just take one of the _Rolling Stones_ that managed to stay on the rack." Brook couldn't help but feel like he was picking at her now.

Reaching up for the magazine, she turned to the man on the other side of the stand. He looked to be almost her age; maybe older. He had neatly combed sandy hair and green eyes. He looked as if he were on his way to a business meeting of some sort. He was handsome, she would give him that. He looked as if he belonged on one of the glamour magazines with male models, with his looks and tan complexion. Brook guessed he was probably one of those rich, city boys that spends way too much time on his self and gets everything with daddy's money.

"Looking for some entertainment to read?" Brook asked.

"Sort of. My father wanted me to find some way to hype up on the economy, if I'm going to ensue in his business, which was why I was going to purchase the first magazine."

_Just as I thought_, Brook said in her mind.

"_But,_ since it was knocked out of sight, I might as well get one I'm more familiar with and one that I would actually like to read that won't put me to sleep," the man said.

A quick smile escaped from Brook's lips. "Alright that'll be $ ."

Giving her more than the magazine was worth; Brook set the register to receive change. Handing him what was due, he held up his hand in a stop motion. "Keep the change."

"All of it?" Brook asked, surprised by the amount.

"Yea, as an apology for the mischief I caused earlier," he said. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble, and for you hitting your head, which I hope is fine."

Now this did surprise Brook. "Uh, yea it's fine now; no worries. I probably should have been paying attention to my work rather than my book."

"What were you reading anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

"_The Phantom of the Opera _by Gaston Leroux. I've already read it once before, but now I have to read it again for one of my university classes."

"Ah, _Le Fantôme de l'Opéra_," the man said with a French accent. "I haven't read that since my early high school years. Leroux was very convinced that the Opera Ghost was real. The poor Opera Ghost, driven into madness by a love he would never have, bearing the curse of his own disfigurement."

"That was actually impressive. But, yes, that's what we are currently studying," Brook said.

"Well, as much as I've enjoyed our conversation, I've got to go," the man said. "Hopefully I'll see you around some time, Brook."

"Yea, see ya around," Brook said as he left. It wasn't until he disappeared that it dawned on Brook that he knew her name from Rod snapping at her but she never got his. _Oh well. I doubt I'll honestly run into him again; not here in New York._

Brook then remembered the mess of magazines lingering behind her. As she leaned down to clean up the mess, she heard someone lean against the stand and sigh. A sigh like that could only come from one person—Rod.

Looking up, Brook saw Rod shaking his head. "Honestly Brook, sometimes I dunno what I'm gonna do with you."

"Sorry about earlier Rod," she apologized still cleaning up the magazines. "I didn't mean to daze out. It hadn't been busy for a while so I thought I'd catch up on my reading and letting my 'head go off in some other place'," she said mocking his voice.

"Don't be smart with me," Rod chuckled. "I didn't mean to scare ya like that, but you really need to learn when to snap out."

"My mom says something like that all the time," Brook said finishing up the magazines. Rod was an old family friend. He'd known her mom for a long time. He's helped her family out a lot; more than Brook thought she could ever repay—giving her this job included. Rod was an old man with dark skin, salt-and-pepper colored hair, and deep brown eyes.

"Yea, your mama's smart like that. And the acorn don't fall far from the tree either," Rod joked.

"Hey," Brook hit his shoulder, "I'll be sure to tell her you said that."

"Go on, your mother doesn't scare me much anymore," Rod chuckled.

"Ha I doubt that." Looking at him, Brook thought he looked more worn down than usual. Sure, he could be a workaholic at times, but today he looked especially stressed about something. "Rod, what's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh nothin', just some old worries. I'm fine. Now you get back to work and don't let me catch you dazing out again," Rod said turning away.

"Sure thing, Boss," Brook said, giving a joking salute.

As soon as he was gone, Brook picked up her book and continued reading where she had left off.

_Persons who are visited by the Angel quiver with a thrill unknown to the rest of mankind._

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Quotes used were from _**The Phantom of the Opera**_by Gaston Leroux, chapter 5.


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